


Sunglasses and Smocks

by Piperwright



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Actor!Lexa, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Clarke and Lexa are both so thirsty for each other, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-21 01:26:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6033025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piperwright/pseuds/Piperwright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lexa is an actor that is still relatively new to LA and when her mom isn't around to do errands dealing with the public she has to do them herself. Which of course means a trip to the groomer's for her dog. That's where a hot blonde catches her eye and the mutual pining begins. Octavia teases Clarke about it to no end. Rated for future chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

The hot California sun was beating down hard as Lexa made her way to her car, her dog strutting behind her. _This is going to be hard now that my mother moved back home. Now I’m going to have to deal with simple things like this. I just hope it won’t be as hard for me as it is for my coworkers._ The lean woman ran her hand through her hair, shifting and laying her hand on the back of her neck while she craned it, trying to calm her nerves.

“Calm down, Lexa, it’s just a trip to the groomer’s. There shouldn’t be many people there. Most likely no one will recognize you, this isn’t like going to the grocery store.” She whispered to herself, guiding her dog into the passenger seat of her car.

Lexa gritted her teeth at the thought of grocery shopping. She was going to have to do that eventually. Maybe she could bring some of her coworkers, or rather Gustus. He was intimidating enough to drive anyone who got too close away just by sheer looks alone. She laughed to herself. She sounded so spoiled, like such a primadonna. Her friends back home would laugh and roll their eyes at how dramatic she was acting.

She slipped the key into the ignition and turned over the engine, eager to just get this done with. She slipped on her sunglasses and a beanie and shook her head, disappointed with how stuck up she felt.

She pushed her thoughts away and started on her way, down to the shop about 30 minutes away. It was a good idea to do whatever errands she needed to run far away from her place of living, her coworkers warned. It was good advice, she had to admit. Thankfully she hadn’t had any real stalkers, unlike her friend Lincoln. The horror stories he told were part of the reason she was so cautious about this.

She briefly thought about hiring someone to run errands for her, since so many people in her profession seem to do that, but that would be too much. Lexa was an independent person, she wasn’t comfortable hiring someone just to do basic everyday things for her. It was one thing if her mother took care of a few errands here and there while she was at work, but hiring someone was just out of the question. She had too much pride for that, she didn’t want to turn into one of those people.

She spent the rest of the drive listening to the radio and occasionally reaching over and to give her dog an affectionate pat. _Deep breathes, Lexa, deep breathes..._

It wouldn’t be that pleasant of an interaction if she burst into the salon sweating and shaking, instructing for them to just “do whatever” and leave. She flinched just imagining the scenario. Eventually she pulled in, parking the car and taking a few minutes to compose herself before walking into the salon. The dog trotted along side of her, never straying or pulling on the leash, stopping when she stopped, walking when she walked. She smiled, at least if she made a fool of herself, it wouldn’t be because of anything her dog did.

Her hand gently guided the door open, an automatic “ding” sounding through the shop to announce her arrival. Her dog slipped in while Lexa let the door slide closed behind her. She was greeted by a medium sized shop with contrasting colors on the walls, complete with occasional murals of paw prints or cats and dogs. It was a nice place. As she walked up to the reception desk to peak into the grooming area she heard a very displeased cat throwing a tantrum. The cat screeched again, and this time someone yelped in pain. A brush clattered to the floor as one of the groomers rushed over to help.  
“We’ll be right with you ma'am!” A young blonde yelled out to her.  
Lexa nodded slightly as she took in a split second glimpse at the woman. She glanced over to her and gave her a quick reassuring smile before reaching out to help the other dark haired girl.

' _What beautiful eyes…'_ Lexa shook herself slightly, ridding her mind of the sudden and foreign thought as fast as it crossed her mind. Lexa nodded, taking a seat across from the reception desk.

The injured girl was trying her damnedest to keep still. Lexa barely made out that the cats claws buried into the woman’s arm, blood trickling down. The disgruntled cat was held away from her by the scruff, still moaning and growling, occasionally hissing at the woman who jumped whenever it made any semblance of movement. The blonde woman trotted over, gently cooing soothing words at the patchy ball of fury. Her slender fingers reached up to detach the nails that were buried in the arm of her coworker, the other woman gritting her teeth at the pain. The cat, surprisingly, let the blonde move its paw, growling all the while but nonetheless letting it happen. She swiftly took the cat from the girl’s grip and placed it in the cage, gliding her hand down its neck in a gentle pet as she left go of the scruff. The cat slowly quieted down as she shut the door of the cage.

She turned to her coworker, her eyes full of concern as she took the woman’s arm between her hands, examining the wounds. It was then that Lexa realized just how badly the animal tore into the woman.

“Did he bite you, Octavia?” The blonde questioned.

Octavia gritted her teeth and replied with a reluctant “yes”. The blood was covering her arm at this point making it hard to make out where exactly the wounds were now and neither of the groomers made any motion to wipe it up yet.

‘ _Probably best that way, they have been handling animals and it wouldn’t be sanitary if hair got in the wound,'_  Lexa thought to herself.

“Well, then you know what we have to do. Go meet me by the tub and get a towel ready. I’ll grab the first aid kit and the toothbrush.”

“Why did I ever agree to do a damn calico…” Octavia muttered as she made her way towards the back of the grooming area.

She winced as Octavia passed by her, getting a good glimpse of the number the cat did to her arm.

“I am so sorry about this! It’ll be just a little while longer, we’re short handed today so it’s just me and Clarke here.”

“Don’t worry about it, I am in no rush. I’m sorry about your injury,” Lexa replied, looking her over with a sympathetic face.

“Just part of the job!” Octavia yelled to her as she made her way to the back, out of Lexa’s field of vision.

Lexa raised a brow.  _Clarke? Interesting name._

Clarke ran back with the kit and a toothbrush as promised.

 _'What are they going to need a toothbrush for…?'_ she couldn’t help but wonder.

“This is gonna hurt, O,” she heard Clarke whisper.

Octavia hissed, quietly cursing, trying to keep as silent as she could but it wasn’t working too well.

“Alright get ready for the hard part.”

“Wait wait wait!!! Do we really have to scrub it?!? Isn’t good enough that you poured peroxide on it? What if I opened the wounds a bit more?!”

Lexa’s eyes widened. _Oh. That is what the toothbrush is for._

“Octavia. You saw what happened to Jasper. You do not want this infected if you value your arm.”

The woman winced lowly. Clarke, obviously trying to make sure Lexa didn’t hear, (which still wasn’t working out too well) whispered, “You can cry if you want. Bite a towel or something if you have to.”

A pause, then muffled yelling came from the back, along with loud reassurances from Clarke, trying to drown out the horrific sounds coming from her friend. And then it was done, save for the small whimpers coming from Octavia. Clarke instructed her to bandage her arm as she went to take care of the brunette waiting patiently in the front.

Clarke stepped out of the grooming room and opened the door on the side of the reception counter. She stepped towards Lexa, offering a warm smile.  
Lexa couldn’t help but let her mouth hang open a bit and completely forget what just happened. Her beautiful slightly wavy hair tucked behind one ear, her form fitting pink-accented smock hugging her curves, those full lips, and blue eyes she could get lost in for days. This girl was…incredibly attractive. There was no denying that. Even if she was covered in hair and reeked of wet dog. 

“I’m so very sorry about that. I would have taken care of you first but cat bites need to be taken care of right away to avoid infection. Again, I’m so sorry you had to witness that and that we kept you waiting so long.”

“No, no, it was only 5 minutes, it is completely fine, no need to apologize. I understand,” Lexa assured, offering a small smile. “I had no idea that cat bites are so…serious. You have to scrub the bites? In order to prevent infection? I have never heard of that,” She added.

“Yeah, this is pretty gruesome but just a couple weeks ago one of our groomers lost a finger because he wasn’t as adamant about cleaning the bites well. So we make sure to take them seriously now.” She explained, nervously clearing her throat.

“I am sorry to hear that, erm, Clarke, was it?” Lexa asked, nervously eyeing the shorter woman behind her sunglasses.

“Yup, that’s me. I don’t think we’ve met. Have you been here before?”

“No, this is my first time here.”

Clarke broke her gaze and tucked a lip between her teeth, a hand lifting up to scratch the back of her neck sheepishly.

“Some first impression this must be, huh? God, I am so sorry.” She said.

“Don’t be, Clarke, it’s not as bad as you think. It’s nice to see how compassionate and caring you are with an aggressive animal and then your injured coworker. I cannot imagine someone being angry about that.”  
Clarke gave a hearty chuckle. “You would be surprised. But thank you, really. And what is your name?”

Lexa panicked for a second. Of all the things she went over in her head, a fake name was not one of them. She was thankful for the cover of her sunglasses, hiding her eyes as they darted around the room.

“Ah, Alex.” She cleared her voice a bit, trying to hide the waiver in her voice. She could have face palmed hearing herself say that.  _'Way to be creative, Lex.’_  
Lexa silently panicked. Clarke was bound to notice the suspicious pause to give her name. Her mind raced, trying to think of a good excuse to cover her sudden awkward behavior but she found none and decided it was for the best since the moment to give her excuse had passed.

If the groomer did notice the pause and awkwardness, she certainly didn’t show it. She grinned at Lexa warmly, and Lexa’s breathe caught in her throat.  
“Welcome to Barkadia, Ah Alex. It’s quite a pleasure.” Clarke giggled, a sarcastic smirk painting itself on her face.

Lexa rolled her eyes, unbeknownst to Clarke. Although a similar (albeit small) smirk made its way onto her face.

“So, I could feel that eyeroll from here, even with the shades blocking my view. What is with those if you mind my asking? Did you just get one of those eye exams done or something?” Her eyes crinkling slightly as her cheeks were lifted with another larger smile.

Lexa opened her mouth to say something but found herself at a loss of words. She instinctively blamed it on not thinking of an excuse fast enough but deep down it was because she was lost in the girl’s eyes yet again. Why was she acting like this? This wasn’t the first time she talked to a pretty girl but here she was, acting like some kind of love-struck highschooler.

The pause didn’t go unnoticed by Clarke this time. She tensed and began fiddling with the ends of her smock.

“Uhh...shit I’m so sorry I shouldn’t have asked, that was stupid of me. Not my place. Feel free to ignore that and not answer me, I shouldn’t have ask-”  
Lexa lifted up a hand to stop her. “Don’t be sorry, that’s a very valid question. I just,” Lexa glanced to see if Octavia had made her way back out to her table yet. She hadn’t. “I accidentally left them on, I apologize for that. It’s a bit unfair for you to converse with someone for the first time and not even be able to properly see them.”

_I can trust this girl. She seems down to earth. She probably wouldn’t recognize me at all._

Lexa lifted up her sunglasses and rested them on her hairline. Clarke's features softened and finally officially met her gaze, seeming memorized by the piecing green eyes before her. She rested her hand on her hip and her signature smirk resurfaced.

“Well look at you, Miss Hollywood.”

And with those words, Lexa went into panic mode. _Oh no. Oh no. Oh no no no no. She recognized me._

Lexa tensed, clenching her jaw and breaking her gaze. Clarke didn’t give her a nervous reaction this time. Just a confused look.

“Did I say something wrong? I just meant that’s such a Hollywood look, the sunglasses thing, y'know? Like you’re getting ready to strike a pose from Zoolander or something.”

Lexa exhaled softly. She didn’t know. She’d never been so relieved to learn she was wrong about something.

“No, you didn’t say anything wrong, Clarke.” She paused, letting her lips twitch ever so slightly to give her a reassuring look. “I am sorry I didn’t get your reference right away.”

Lexa didn’t offer anymore of an explanation than that. Clarke still looked puzzled but quickly dropped it, or rather forgot it, when Lexa’s eyes flickered back onto her own. She nodded slightly and returned back to business.  
“And, uh, what brings you in here today, Miss Alex?” Clarke asked, looking down at her dog.

The taller woman turned and motioned to the standard poodle sitting beside her. “Pauna needs a haircut.”

“Alrighty, what kind of haircut do you want? Poodles are pretty versatile, there’s a lot of styles to choose from.”

“Whatever you think would look best,” Lexa replied, her hands clasped behind her back.

Clarke raised her eyebrow at that. “Oh really?” She looked like she was resisting the urge to give another wise-crack, but ended up exhaling gently. Probably enough jokes for the day. “Well, help me out a bit. Would you prefer fancy or simple?”

“Either would be good,” Lexa nodded, her lips moving to give a small smile. Clarke sighed.

“Caesar, come out here,” Clarke called to the grooming room. A huge Akita came bounding over, waiting at the door, only it’s ears and swirled tail, wagging frantically, was visible.

“No, Fish, not you,” she said, opening the door only slightly to let a mostly ginger poodle slip out and walk towards Pauna.

“This is Caesar, Octavia’s dog. I like to experiment with him a bit.”

“He is…colorful.” Lexa leaned down to stroke the underside of the dogs chin, chuckling slightly. The dog was dyed different colors in various places; red on the tail, pink on the ears, orange on the pom-poms at the end of each leg.  
Caesar had a perfectly rounded cut. Shapely ears and head, circular tufts of hair above his shaved feet, chest and back full until a couple inches before his hips, where two more rounded mounds of hair rested in between.

“This is the continental cut. It’s a fancy-like one. But I think it’s beautiful if you can keep up with it.”

“I think this will look great on Pauna. However, is it possible to not have the two circles of hair before the hips?” Lexa asked, looking up at Clarke from where she had knelt down to caress the dogs fur. “That part is a bit  _too_ fancy for her, I think.”

“Absolutely.” Clarke replied.

“Then this is perfect. Thank you, Clarke.”

She stood slowly, handing the leash to the blonde.

“I’ll take her to the back and come back out to get your info and you can be on your way. We’ll call you as soon as she’s done.” Clarke took the leash gently and guided her dog to the kennels, Pauna wagging her tail all the while.

  
_'Huh. Even Pauna likes her.’_

  
-

  
“Did you have fun flirting while I fought for my life back here, Princess?” Octavia teased, strolling out from the back room of the shop.

“Oh har har, O. I wasn’t flirting with her, that’s how friendly I am with every customer.” Clarke said, shooting her a glare.

“I’m not so sure, Clarke. You seemed to be get  _very_ friendly with her. It’s not every day you spend a full 8 minutes talking to customer about everything but her dog’s haircut. Shit, when you did get to that it took 2 seconds for her to decide.” The dark haired girl gave her a wink as she took out the Calico cat from before.

Clark rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, O. Are you sure you wanna continue Mr Burgers and Fries over there? I can finish him for you since he’s so damn pissed. He's made it clear he’s not your number one fan, after all.” She took a few strides over to Octavia’s table but the woman put up her hand.

“It’s fine. I’d be an angry cat too if my name was Burgers and Fries. If anything, just hold him while I finish up his under section. He’s pretty much done after that.” She handed her the scruff and switched on the clippers. A growl started rumbling up from the cat’s throat but Clarke quickly silenced it with gentle scratches behind the ear and soothing reassurances.

“Geez, Clarke, you’re so good at working with cats. Teach me your ways, girl.” Octavia looked up at her, giving her a playful smirk.

“I don’t know what it is, O. I don’t do anything special. Maybe it helps to not be afraid of them? You do a pretty good job as it is, they’re a lot worse with Jasper, and Raven flat out won’t do them.” Clarke loosened her grip as the other groomer switched her clipper off. The blonde placed the cat into its cage and searched around for his collar.

“It’s not even just cats either, it’s everything. You got some kinda talent there, Snow White.” Octavia chuckled, pulling out her phone. “I gotta text the crew that one. That’s a good nickname to add to the list.”

She elbowed her, giving the other groomer a threatening look. “Don’t you dare. It’s bad enough I got stuck with Princess.”

Clarke finally spotted the collar, buried under some hair. She reached down picking it up by the engraved tag.

“Oh my god, Octavia, have you read this cat’s tag before? It says Mr. BF. How fitting.” Clarke peered over to Octavia, who burst out laughing.

“Mister BITCH FIT?! Oh god give me the tag I gotta take a snapchat of this shit.”

Clarke and Octavia joked around for the rest of the day, but still steadily got a good amount of work done. When she got around to Lexa’s - or rather, Alex's - dog, Octavia couldn’t help but keep shooting her teasing looks with pursed lips. Clarke waved her away each time. Pauna was amazingly well-behaved, standing completely still and turning whenever and wherever she urged her too. It had been a while since she’d seen a dog that obedient.  _'Poodles are supposed to be the smartest dogs, only beaten by Border Collies.’_  she reminded herself. Her Akita was smart, but wasn’t the most obedient dog compared to this one.  
She dried and brushed the poodle until she was fluffy enough for 'Clarke' standards and guided her over to her table. Pauna automatically jumped up onto the table, much to Clarke’s surprise and delight. Octavia stared at her and pressed her hand to her chest in feigned offense.

“Is that a show dog or what? Why can’t my big dogs do that for me? I had to pick this one up by the hips and shuffle him over here to get him on my table, damn.” She muttered, motioning to rather heavyset Golden Retriever on her table.

“Maybe it’s because her mom likes me so much, right Pauna?” Clarke jabbed, squinting at the other woman.

“Hah! So you admit it!”

“Pfft, whatever, O. Imagine if I kept track of all the customers that you flirted with or vice versa. Think Raven might get jealous?” She looked up, a devious smile on her face.

“Psh, I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Why Raven would care?” Octavia answered, trying to sound indifferent but started blushing and focused her eyes on the haircut in front of her. Clarke opened her mouth to tease her more but Octavia quickly cut her off, eager to change the subject.  
“Anyway what do you think the deal is with that girl? What was her name? Alex?”

Clarke’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, those sunglasses and that beanie. And that obviously fake name. You think maybe she’s a famous person or something?”

“Damn Octavia, you’re reaching today. Alex? A made up name? Need I remind you of the names you make up when you run into one of your one night stands?”

“Shut it, Clarke. That was like, one time. Maybe two. And I was super drunk and there was a door and all I could think of that one kids show that tried to teach me Spanish and-”

“Alright alright, I won’t tease you about it anymore. And I don’t know about Alex. But she seems really sweet.” She said looking down, trying to hide a small smile from Octavia.

“Hey, I see that smile, Princess. You got a cruuush!” She ribbed, drawing out the last word in a singsong voice.

_I should know by now I can’t hide anything from her._

“I mean, she’s pretty, but I barely know her. How can I have a crush on someone I spoke to for a few minutes?” Clarke said, working on shaping Pauna’s last leg.

“Well, ask her out for coffee when she comes to pick up her dog. That poodle is coming out great, by the way. Of course, it’s not as cute as little Caesar over here,” she commented, making kissing noises at him while the smaller dog stood up and pressed his front legs against her in response.

“Which is also because of me, thank you.” Clarke baited,lifting her chin a bit. 

Octavia rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out in response. 

“Wow! See if I groom your dog for you while your busy again!”

“Hey, you offered. You needed practice on poodles again because you were getting rusty, you should be thanking _me,”_ Octavia retorted, raising her eyebrows and pursing her lips. 

“Sure, O. Whatever you say. Now hand me the phone, Pauna is all ready and I gotta call Alex and let her know.”

“Don’t you mean your new girlfriend?” Octavia teased yet again, pouting her lips and blowing her a kiss.

Clarke considered bringing up her crush on their friend Raven again but decided against it. Octavia was way too awkward and sensitive about it to talk or even tease her for it. She dialed Alex’s number and leaned her back against the edge of her table, listening to the loud hum as she awaited an answer. 

“Hey! Its the groomer, Clarke. Pauna’s all ready for you. Yup. She did great. Alright, super! See you then.” She clicked the phone and laid it down on top of her tool chest. She could already feel Octavia’s staring at her, stifling laughs. Clarke sighed. 

“Go ahead, O”

“SUPER!!!” She yelled, pumping her right arm to the side. “Pffft hahaha! Oh my god, Clarke, you’re so awkward, I’m loving this.”

“Alright you had your fun. Now hurry up and finish your dog so we can clean and be ready to go after all the dogs pick up.”

“I’ll have this dog done in no time. Have a little faith, Princess.” 

Clarke gave an exasperated sigh and laid out her clipper blades and began cleaning them one by one. “You know what I love, Octavia?” Clarke started, not lifting her gaze off of her current activity.

“Pussy.” 

“I mean, yes, but also that while Jasper is out of commission we can chat it up on days like this. We can’t usually joke around like this because he’ll join in and get distracted. He needs to learn to multitask.”

“Damn Clarke I didn’t know you had such vendetta against Jasper.”  Clarke looked up at her ready to argue but eased up when she saw the humorous expression on her friend’s face. “I agree. This is fun. Another plus is that it no longer reeks of pot back here with him gone.”

 Clarke nodded, both laughing and making more jokes at their coworker’s expense as they finished up. 

 

-

 

Lexa ended the call and stood up to stretch. _Just my luck that she’s done right after my workout, right? At least I have time to wash my face.’_ She sighed.   _'I’m developing a crush, aren’t I?_

She padded over to her bathroom and took a few minutes to freshen up before heading out, not bothering to change out of her yoga pants and sleeveless workout shirt. She did have time, however, to pull her hair tie out and let her curls flow freely. She’ll be damned if this gorgeous girl sees her looking anything less than stunning. The tan woman slipped into the driver’s seat of her car, wrapping her fingers around the steering wheel and taking a breathe. _Maybe when I get there I’ll ask her out for coffee sometime? Or maybe a drink would be better. Maybe a movie or-_

She shook herself out of her thoughts. She was getting too hung up on this girl too fast. She was sure if she tried asking her out for anything she would be coming on too strong. She had only just met the girl. She buried her face into her hand for a few moments and pushed away all her thoughts of Clarke. She pushed her keys into the ignition, put on her sunglasses, and turned up the radio. It wouldn’t be another 30 minutes until she got there and Lexa welcomed any distraction she could get until then. It did end up making the drive less nerve-wracking. 

Once she pulled up to the shop again her nerves were full force. But again, a she took a few moments to gain her composure and it made all the difference. She pushed her keys into her bag and walked into the shop, the chime greeting her again. She was greeted by Octavia with Clarke nowhere in site and she couldn’t help but feel the pang of disappointment. A customer was in front of her, so she took a seat and waited patiently. She observed quietly as the older gentleman who arrived before her paid for his groom and Octavia disappeared to grab his dog. When she reappeared with a Yorkie in hand, the man handed her a $10 bill. And that’s when it hit her. _This is a service, and you tip hairdressers, why wouldn’t you think to tip a groomer? Why didn’t this occur to me earlier?_ She bit her lip and searched in her purse to see if she was carrying any cash but sighed in defeat when she found nothing. _Maybe I can put the tip on my card?_

She hoped so, because it would look really bad especially when she’s interested in this girl. The old man thanked Octavia again and went on his way. She turned to Lexa and scanned what she could of her face that wasn’t guarded by her sunglasses and smiled at her. Before Lexa could open her mouth and give her a proper greeting Octavia stood up.

“I’ll go grab Clarke for you,” She said, wearing a knowing smile, while giving her another once over. She padded over to the back of the shop until she was out of sight. Lexa heard a door open and then some mumbling, only making out select words like “yoga pants” and “girlfriend” along with some giggles all from Octavia, a few displeased noises from Clarke after a few more comments from Octavia, and then the door closed. And then Clarke stepped in and Lexa couldn’t stop the small smile that made its way onto her face. Clarke gave a wide grin and walked up to the reception counter. Clarke gave a slight pause, visibly swallowing as she took in Lexa's tight fitting pants and sleeveless shirt, stealing a quick glance at her tribal tattoos before snapping out of it.

“I have to say, Alex, your dog is incredibly well behaved.” Lexa lifted her sunglasses as she walked up to the counter as well. “You sure she isn’t some kind of past show dog?”

Lexa pressed her lips into an amused smirk. “I’m sure. Thank you, though. I’m glad to know she didn’t give you a hard time.”

Clarke tucked her hair behind her ear as she moved her gaze to the screen in front of her and began to ring her up. She directed Lexa to swipe her card whenever. The brunette stood awkwardly and cleared her throat.

“May I leave the tip on my card?”

Clarke’s blue eyes looked up at her and she could feel her breathe catch in her throat. The blonde frowned slightly.

“I’m sorry Alex but our systems aren’t set with that option,” she said apologetically. “Right now we only accept cash tips. But don’t worry about it, really.” 

Clarke gave her a reassuring smile but the taller girl bit her lip slightly and  broke eye contact. “Shit. I am sorry Clarke, I had no idea. I feel terrible now. I would think a standard poodle is a difficult job as is, even without a fancy cut. I, er, is there any ATM’s you know of around here?”

Clarke held up her hand. “Seriously Alex don’t worry about it. I don’t need a tip, don’t feel bad about it.”

Lexa insisted. “You deserve it though, Clarke. I can see Pauna from here and you did an amazing job.”

Clarke sighed and looked away for second. She turned her head back after a moment wearing an amused expression. Lexa quirked her brow. 

“How about...you let me take you out for a drink?” She spoke with a smug look. “That’ll be probably the best tip I’ve gotten.” She added.

Lexa let out a small laugh and Clarke looked away, her expression quickly changing to one of hurt and regret. The brunette noticed and immediately spoke up.

“As long as you agree to let me be the one to treat. I’m supposed to be the one tipping here, remember?” Her lips pulled back into a smile, revealing her almost blindingly white teeth.

Clarke’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. She kept opening her mouth to say something, then deciding against it, looking up at her and then looking away, and repeating the process a few times. Clarke was awestruck. Octavia strolled over to rescue her friend from further embarrassment. She gave Lexa a welcoming simper while laying a hand behind Clarke’s back. 

“What she means to say is ‘Yes, I would love to, is 7 tomorrow ok with you?’” 

Lexa couldn’t help but chuckle at the endearing situation. “That’s perfect for me. And I’ll be needing your number, Clarke, since you already have mine.”

She reached in her bag and pulled out her phone, fiddling with it for a short moment then sliding it to Clarke. The younger woman took it silently and typed in her contact information, adding a poodle and a smirk emoji at the end of her name. She looked up, her eyes sparkling with awe, and promptly returned the phone. She held her gaze for a second before standing up and striding back to release the black standard poodle that had been waiting patiently the entire time her mom was shamelessly flirting with the groomer. 

Pauna marched to the door and stood in front of it before Clarke slid the lock and pushed it open. She took a few more steps towards Lexa with the leash in hand before gently offering it. A prominent blush had now painted its way across Clarke’s cheeks, and Lexa suspected her face might be similarly flushed. Clarke cleared her throat, her blue eyes filled with excitement as they peered into Lexa’s own. 

“So, I’ll pick you up at 7 tomorrow, Miss Alex?”

“I would rather pick you up, if that’s ok with you. It is my treat, after all.”

Clarke nodded giving a big toothy grin. 

“Therefore I will see you then, Miss Clarke. Pauna looks stunning, I can’t wait to properly thank you for that tomorrow.” Lexa paused, and then her eyes widened and blush returning at the sudden realization of how subjective that must have come off. She awkwardly cleared her throat for what must have been the fourth time today.

“F-furthermore, thank you again, I hope you have a lovely evening. Say goodbye, Pauna.” She glanced down at her companion, who stood up on her hind legs and pressed her front paws onto Clarke’s chest and showered her with happy licks. Lexa let out a small gasp and brought her hands up to cover her mouth in shock. Clarke couldn’t help but chuckle and try to pull her head back to avoid most of the onslaught. Octavia couldn’t stifle the fit of laughter as she ducked back into the grooming room, hand covering her mouth in an attempt to be somewhat polite. 

“O-oh my. Pauna! Down!” Lexa commanded. Pauna obeyed immediately and hopped down, wagging her tail and still staring at Clarke. Lexa pinched the above the bridge of her nose, refusing to meet Clarke’s eyes. “She has never done that before, I am so sorry, Clarke. When I tell her to say goodbye to someone, she usually just presses her head against them or something along those lines.”

Clarke gave a throaty laugh, presenting her hands out to her sides, palms facing up. “What can I say, I’m lovable.”

Lexa looked up, her ears burning with embarrassment as she gave a final goodbye before rushing to the car. “Thanks for proving me wrong, Pauna,” she muttered as she took her seat in front of the steering wheel. _At least I got that date I so desperately wanted._

 

Back inside the salon, Clarke and Octavia began to prepare to close the shop. Clarke was trying her best to focus on the final tasks of the day while Octavia gushed about how endearing and hilarious she found that to be. The blonde sighed, somehow blocking out her friend’s teasing, her thoughts centering on the date that was to happen tomorrow and smiling like a love-struck highschooler.


	2. Friends

  
“Oh god I’m freaking out, O. What should I wear? What should I talk about? How do I act? Oh my god this girl is so hot and I’m just this awkward mess,” Clarke’s eyes pleaded with her friend.

“No need to stress, _princess,_ ” Octavia paused, grinning smugly. “I’m here for all your wing-woman needs. You’re gonna ace this date.”

“That’s not how dates work, Octavia.”

“Really? That’s news to me,”

“Come _on_ , O. I’m dying here. I haven’t had a date in so long and I haven’t been romantically involved with anyone since…” She trailed off.

“…Since Finn.” Octavia finished, standing up and wrapping her arms around her friend. Clarke started getting lost in her thoughts and painful memories. Her brunette friend snapped her back to reality as she swung them back towards the bed, planting them into the pile of clothes Clarke made. Clarke pouted, murmuring something akin to “miss muscles has been working out again” muffled by the many, many blouses she had thrown at the bed in frustration not too long ago.

“Cheer up, Clarke. This girl is hot. And she likes you! I still bet you she’s some kinda celebrity with those sunglasses.”

Clarke rolled over and mumbled, “$20 says she isn’t. No way a celebrity would be interested in this. Just cause a pretty person wears sunglasses doesn’t mean she’s famous.”

Octavia’s grin widened. “Pshhh whatever. I’ll be $20 richer after this date then. You should invite her to Jasper and Monty’s party this weekend too.”

“That’s if this date doesn’t scare her away.”

“Geez, Clarke. How am I supposed to help you when you have zero confidence?” Octavia paused, raising her index finger to her lip while she pondered for a moment. “Oh! I have an idea!”

Clarke turned to face Octavia with her brow quirked. “Really now?”

“Ok, so you remember that episode of Spongebob where Patrick tries to help him pass his driving test or whatever?”

Clarke lost it at ‘Spongebob’. Octavia narrowed her eyes at her, but the blonde was too busy laughing her ass off to notice. “You can’t be serious,” Clarke giggled. _She sure knows how to get my mind off Finn._

“Let me finish, asshole. What if I talked you through the date on an earpiece like Patrick did for Spongebob?”

Clarke spoke again after recovering from her second fit of laughter. “Yeah, because that worked out so well on Spongebob. Go get ready for work, O.”

“It’s a good idea…” she grumbled, lifting herself off the bed. “But you’re right. We don’t want to be late, especially you, _Miss Manager_. Hurry up and pick out an outfit, I don’t wanna have to go through you throwing all your clothes at me in search of the perfect outfit again. The white and black dress works, the low cut top and tight jeans work, a lot of shit works on you, Clarke. Seriously.” The lean brunette gave her friend a warm smile as she picked up a few stray articles of clothing on her way out.

“Thanks, Octavia,” She called out softly as her friend walked towards her own room. She stood up and gathered the latter outfit her friend recommended. She pushed the rest of the clothes off the side of the bed into a pile. She made a mental note to clean it later tonight, but if she was being realistic it would be more like next week. She placed a light black jacket next to her shirt and grabbed a pair of heels to put next to her bed. _Maybe heels are too much? This isn’t a fancy dinner, just a drink. Maybe heels are a bad idea, what if I trip and make a fool of myself?_ She pinched the bridge of her nose. _I’ll decide this when I get home. Right now I have 7 minutes to slip into my work outfit and get out the door._

Clarke walked into living room and was greeted with a donut and a thermos of coffee handed to her by a slightly flustered Octavia. The blonde was ushered out the door as soon as she took the offering with her friend muttering reminders of what time it was or how Jaha will kill them if them if they’re late. Octavia volunteered to drive as she caught up after staying behind to lock the door, finding Clarke already halfway in the passenger seat.

“Real nice, Blondie. Just for that you’re buying me lunch.” Octavia chided as she pushed the key into the ignition.

“Oh fuck off, it was your turn to drive anyway.” Clarke retorted, pulling out her phone as she took another bite of her glazed donut. “Also what the fuck is this? Where’d all the powdered donuts go?”

“’Thank you for grabbing me breakfast and coffee, O. that was so nice since we were in such a rush,’” Octavia muttered sarcastically, eyes glued to the road as she pulled out of the apartment complex. “As for your question, I’m pretty sure Raven ate all of them last time she came over. Along with the Coco Puffs, sadly. See? I’m a victim in this too.”

“All of them? I didn’t even have one…an entire box? Seriously, Raven?”

“Text her and tell her she owes us donuts and cereal on Friday when she comes into work. And not the cheap kind, either.”

“Already did.” Clarke replied, tapping away at her phone with one hand while she finished her donut with the other.

“Oh really? Then who are you texting, lover-girl?” She said, eyes resting on Clarke as they stopped at a red light.

“Well, judging by your shit-eating grin, you know who.”

“Then give me details! Come on!” Octavia pleaded, brown eyes filled with curiosity and playfulness, but the skin under her eyes puffy and tinged by early morning air, still missing sleep. Clarke cracked a smile. She really did have a great friend, willing to wake up early before work to listen to her whine about tonight’s date, willing to play the role of faithful wing-man, and willing to distract her when her thoughts lingered on Finn. _Octavia is a real catch. Hopefully Raven will wake up and realize that soon.  
_

“Well?”

Octavia’s voice brought her back to reality again. “I’m just texting her making sure I put in my number right in her phone.”

“Boringgg. Make sure to put lots of flirty emojis in with that. That heart-eyes emoji depicts you really well right now.”

“Just for that, I’ll make sure I put none.”

 

-

 

Lexa smiled down at her phone. She relaxed back into her chair and began typing but was eventually interrupted by the woman next to her.

“What are you smiling about, over there, _commander?”_ she asked, wiggling her eyebrows as she leaned towards her to peak at her friend’s phone.

“Nothing, Anya. You should be studying your script.” She stated in a bland tone, returning to her stoic self once she was caught.

“And so should you but you don’t see me raining on your parade.”

“…You kind of are…” Lexa muttered, turning away, trying to finish typing her message.

Anya’s brows lifted up further, her interest obviously piqued. “Oh really now Lexa? And why aren’t you sharing this fun with your best friend?”

She leaned further forward. Lexa stood up and angrily moved her chair away from the other woman, to which Anya followed, scooting towards her with a playful smirk. Just before she was able to hit send, Lexa moved her phone into the hand furthest from her costar and held it in the air, turning towards her with a stern face.

“Enough, Anya. Let us just move on and practice our lines, ok? Gustus and Nyko look like they’re almost done shooting their scene, we don’t have time for-”

Before she finished her eyes widened in horror as the phone was snatched from her hand. She whipped her head around to meet her friend, Lincoln, taking a few steps back, tossing the phone between his hands. _Oh no. Oh no no no no._ _They wouldn’t. Would they?_

He flashed a devious grin and cleared his throat as he dramatically raised the hand clutching the phone well above Lexa’s reach.

The shorter brunette stood up, her eyes burning with fury. The look would have probably stopped Lincoln in his tracks if his gaze wasn’t so fixed on the phone.  
“Someone named ‘Clarke’ said ‘Hey so I’m texting you just to make sure I didn’t nervously type in my number wrong on your phone.’”

All during the first part of his speech Lexa tried to talk over him with protests but to no avail. Lincoln’s voice was too loud and booming, and she will not yell and make a fool of herself. She stood in front of Lincoln, fists clenched. She unfurled one fist and brought it up to her temple, resting her thumb against her it with her fingers pressed above her eyebrows and gave an exhausted sigh. Giving in, she made her way back to her seat and let her head lull back, squeezing her eyes shut as Lincoln continued.

“This is Clarke, B - T - W,” He exaggerated out the abbreviation while still maintaining his deep serious voice. He paused to give a tight lipped smirk as he looked towards Anya.

“Lexa: ‘No need to worry, you put in your number correctly. For tonight may I suggest we get dinner first? It is unwise to drink on an empty stomach.’” Lincoln’s eyes shifted over to Lexa. “As warm and smooth as ever, I see. Lucky for you, your good friends Lincoln and Anya are here to help.”

_Please don’t help._

Lexa groaned loudly, still refusing to lift her head. “Please do not do that.”

“Too late, we’re on the case already. And stop doing that Lexa, you’ll smear your sexy raccoon make-up before our scene.” Anya hopped out of her seat and strolled over to where Lincoln stood.

“Let’s start out with, ‘No worries, your contact info was right.’” Lincoln started, then Anya plucking the phone from his hands and continuing where he left off.  
“And then ‘Would you mind if we grabbed a bite to eat before drinks?” Anya offered, typing it in as she spoke.

“And that’s it. No need to include mother hen warnings disguised as a wise sage-worthy piece of advice. Jeez it’s like translating pick up lines for the Batman. I guess it makes sense why you got the role of Commander.”

Lincoln took back the phone after she finished, knowing Anya would send the message without Lexa’s approval. Lexa released a sharp ‘ugh’ noise as she finally lifted her head, then tilting it and finally opening her eyes to give Lincoln a look of exasperation. He still held her phone in one hand, thumb hovering over the “send” option. He reciprocated her expression, tilting his head toward her towards her sarcastically. Anya imitated a pressing motion with her thumb, but he patiently waited for Lexa’s permission.

“Guys, that does not sound anything like me. She’ll think she definitely texted the wrong number.”

“Come on, its not that far off. It’s not like we made you sound like a perky valley girl. We just updated your lingo!” Anya insisted. Lincoln nodded.

“’No worries’? ‘Grab a bite’? Those seem like plausible things that would come out of my mouth?”

“Not to be an smartass, but they just did.”

_No, Anya, that wasn’t you being a smartass. That was you just being an ass._

“Fine. Go ahead and send it. May I have my phone back now?”

“As you wish, Commander Lexa.” Lincoln said, finally pressing his thumb down and handing the phone back. Lexa sighed. Should she even bother texting her that it was her friends? _No, might as well wait for her reaction_. _It could be interesting._

She didn’t have time to wait for the reply. Indra had come to escort Lexa and Anya on set and shoot their scene. Thankfully, Anya didn’t need to practice her lines as much as Lexa thought. They got the scene done after a only few takes. Indra looked pleased, commenting that it took Nyko and Gustus so many that it put them behind schedule. Indra dismissed them and went on her way to grab the actors needed for the next scene. Anya could barely wait until they stepped off set to pull Lexa over to her. She wrapped her arm around her shoulder and pulled her friend closer as they walked.

“So, are you gonna tell me more about this mystery person ‘Clarke’? Here I thought you were part of the all-girls club.”

“Anya, I am. Clarke is a woman. I met her yesterday and offered to take her out for a drink. That’s it.” Lexa’s gaze stayed straight on their path down the studio lot, towards that table filled with snacks that Anya loved so much.

“That is so not it. How’d you meet her? Is it a date? Does she know who you are? I need details, Lex.” Anya’s eyes overflowed with curiosity.

Lexa’s eyes moved to meet the brown ones that were burning into her without moving her head. She looked her up and down, side-eyeing her as hard as she could. It still didn’t phase her. She should have known Anya wouldn’t rest until she spilled every detail of what happened. She never stopped pestering her in the past, and it didn’t seem like she would stop now. Anya nuzzled closer, dirty blonde hair brushing against Lexa’s cheek. The taller woman stuck out her tongue and Lexa clenched her jaw, almost as a warning.

“If you don’t tell me I’ll lick you again.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“You know I would.”

Lexa contemplated pushing her face away, but as she lifted her hand she knew full well Anya would just lick that too. Lexa groaned loudly.

“Why do you do this to me?”

“Because I love you but mostly because I want to know about this mystery girlfriend. You should tell your bestie these things without her torturing it out of you, you know.”

“Fine. But _you_ are buying lunch.” She fought the urge to remind her that wasn’t her girlfriend.

“Deal!”

Lexa looked away and hid a small smile. Anya may be a pain in the ass but she is a good friend.

“So, lover girl, what’d Clarkey text back?”

Lexa scrambled back, padding herself down in search of her phone. She whipped it out, ignoring Anya’s mocking grin. It wasn’t often that Lexa lost her cool like this and it earned an amused stare from her friend. The brunette’s eyes widened slightly and she quickly swiped the phone and began typing away.

“Did she text back or what? C'mon, the suspense is killing me.”

“Yes, she did. And as I said, she does not think it’s me.”

“Mind reading it to me, Romeo?”

Lexa shot her an annoyed look before she stopped typing. “Clarke replied: 'Uh, sure, but this doesn’t seem like the Lexa I met. 'No worries’ doesn’t seem like it would be in your vocabulary, no offense. You sure I got the number right?’ Do you see Anya? I told you that was not me.”

Anya waved her hand. “Psh, whatever! Just tell her when you met her you didn’t have your daily dose of coffee or some shit.”

“No.” Lexa glared at her, typing a few more words before she pressed 'send’. “I just told her it was you guys stealing my phone.”

Anya crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “You ratted us out? Rude.” Lincoln walked up to them, leaning against the snack table. “Can you believe this, Lincoln?”

“Come on Anya, enough teasing. I wanna hear about the story behind this mystery man.”

“Woman.” Lexa stated simply, eyes still fixed on the phone in hopes of a reply.

“Oh thank God. I was really confused for a second but I didn’t want to be rude.”

“Unlike me, right?” Anya strolled up, elbowing him playfully.

“Yes?” Lincoln said, as if surprised she would even ask.

 

-

 

 

“This is weird. Her reply doesn’t sound like her at all. I wonder if it’s someone playing a prank on me. Maybe she typed in the wrong number and someone wants to fuck with my day?” Clarke’s brows furrowed, staring down at her phone while she absentmindedly pushed around her lunch with a fork.

“Chill, Clarke. If it’s a random person, how would they know you guys have a date tonight? Maybe she just sounds different over text. Or maybe her friends are like your’s and stole her phone.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, O. Please don’t do that to me though.”

Octavia scoffed and rolled her eyes in response. She went back to eating her lunch while Clarke poked at her remaining food, hoping she would get a reply soon. _What if it was her? What if I offended her by thinking it wasn’t her? What if yesterday she just didn’t have coffee or something? Ugh, that isn’t it. She wasn’t grouchy, just super calm, enunciating everything clearly in that beautiful slightly deep voice -_

Clarke shakes her head, ridding herself of the embarrassingly infatuated thoughts. She pushed herself up from the small table, chair jolting backwards as it hit the back of her knees. Octavia jumped at the sudden noise and watched as Clarke walked back into the grooming area throwing out her unfinished lunch along the way. She sighed and finished up her own food before heading back in.

“It’s good that it’s slow at work today, right? We can get out early and have even more time to play dress up before your big date.” Octavia tensed when she didn’t get any sort of response. Minutes passed and Clarke began tapping her fingers against her table to fill the silence.

“Clarke, really. You gotta relax. This is nothing to stress about. And you know I’d be here to help if there was.”

Clarke leaned back and pulled a hand through her hair. “I know. It’s just been a while since I sent the text. What if she got offended or decided she doesn’t want to go on a date?”

“No, no. She’s probably working. Cut the girl some slack. I’m sure any minute-” Octavia was cut short by the short vibration and text tone of Clarke’s phone. The blonde all but squealed in excitement. Her eyes lit up as she read through the message, relief flooding her features. Her fingers went to work immediately, tapping away with the soft clicks of the digital keyboard filling the room. Octavia took that as a good sign, deciding not to press her about what the message said just yet. Clarke put down the phone and sighed contently. She lifted her head and Octavia stayed silent but offered a tilt of the chin and a few questioning glances between Clarke and her phone.

“Alright already, I’ll read it to you.” The blonde brought a closed hand to her lips and cleared her throat before lifting up the phone. “You were right, O. It was her friends. Glad I didn’t bet money on that one. She texted back, ‘I apologize for that, Clarke. My friends stole my phone for a few moments and thought it would be amusing to change my text into something more leisurely. But dinner before drinks is acceptable, then?’”

Octavia kept a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter until Clarke finished. “Clarke. Oh my god. She’s perfect for you. You are both so awkward it’s adorable. Even her friends are trying to play wingman too!”

Clarke rolled her eyes and started lowering her phone but paused as Octavia walked away from her table and towards Clarke’s. “What are you doing, O? Do I need to rat on you to Bell-”

Before she could finish her threat, her friend stole her phone out of her hand. Octavia turned her back to the blonde as she fought for to get it back, but the brunette held a hand firmly against her chest to keep her in place. “You were really gonna skip out on telling me what you texted back? Really?”

Clarke cursed Octavia’s relatively new strength. _What happened? I used to be the strong one! And now she goes to the gym every once in a while and she’s ripped?!_ Clarke groaned and stopped flailing her arms toward Octavia.

Octavia took a moment to scan her phone. “Where’s the emojis?! We have entire conversations in _just_ emojis, Clarke. Who are you?!”

“It felt weird to use any! She hasn’t used them!”

“Whatever I’m sending some after I’m done teasing you about this text you sent,” She paused and put on a ridiculous grin before she continued. “So after her awkwardly formal but adorable reply, you said ‘Hey no problem! Seems like our friends have a lot in common. And I’m definitely down for that. Let me know when you want me to send you my address and if 7 is still a good time for you. Looking forward to tonight!’”

Octavia paused and turned her head towards Clarke, frowning and squinting. “Making awkward small-talk already. I can’t get over the high and mighty Griffin acting this flustered. This is like some teens on a first date! It’s hilarious! I..I gotta to show Raven. She’s gonna have a field day.”

“You wouldn’t, O.”

“And here I thought you knew me, Princess. I just sent screenshots while I was looking at you. Don’t you know I’ve practically memorized the iphone layout specifically for situations like this?” Octavia cackled at Clarke’s horrified expression. Not only was she going to have to deal with Octavia’s teasing at work tomorrow, but Raven’s too. _Wait, what if she was wrong and sent it to someone else?!_

 _“Octavia!”_ Clarke yelled, trying to yank her phone back. “Make sure it sent to Raven! And tell her not to tell anyone else yet! You know she has a big mouth!”

“Fine, fine. Let me check.” The brunette pulled away and studied the screen. Her eyes widened. “Ok, so don’t freak out. I may or may not have sent that to your mom…”

Clarke buried her face in her hands releasing a string of curses before Octavia busted into a fit of giggles. “Kidding! I’m kidding. Calm down. And don’t worry, I texted Raven to keep her mouth shut.”

Clarke breathed a sigh of relief and Octavia finally handed back her phone. “That was such a dick move…all of this is such a dick move, O…I’ll remember this,” She mumbled as she scrolled through her phone. _Let me check to see if Alex replied during Octavia’s bullshit._ Clarke gasped, her eyes glued to the small screen.

“Octavia…you didn’t…” Clarke rested her head against the palm of her hand in disbelief.

“I told you I would.”

“You sent not one, not two, but TEN heart-eye emojis…You just dug me the biggest hole, Octavia…If things weren’t awkward enough before you’ve just made it so much worse.” Clarke just shook her head while her friend nudged at her. “What do I even say? I mean, I’m probably going to tell her it was you but that’s going to sound so fake after her friends just jacked HER phone.”

“Oh, come on. It’s not the worst thing. I made things interesting!”

“Octavia this isn’t even funny now! I’m so mad at you! She’s going to think I’m creepy or something!”

“Chill, Clarke! It isn’t creepy! It’s not like I told her you wanted to lick her-”

“Oh my god enough, Octavia. Finish the dog in kennel B so we can go home.”

Clarke laid her head down on her table with her phone next to her, hand firmly over it in case her friend tried something again. Her phone buzzed with a steady influx of messages from Raven, that she resolved to ignore. She stayed like that for a few moments while Octavia began working again, completely silent. _‘Probably guilty of what she pulled’,_ Clarke suspected.

She pulled herself up and pushed the hair out of her face. The sooner she replied, the better. She swiped open her phone and began typing out a reply of how Octavia stole her phone and she was sorry and-

Clarke froze when she saw that Alex had already started typing a reply also. She scrambled to type out her reply fast enough to beat Alex, but it the message tone announced her defeat. ‘Haha. That’s cute.’

She reread the message over and over again. This was a trick right? She was shook from her thoughts again as another message from Alex appeared. ‘I have the emoji keyboard, too. Although, I never use it. Maybe I should start, I did not realize there were more faces than the smirking one my friend always uses. Anyway, 7 pm is still a good time for me. I get off work at 5 pm. Also, may I have your address now, please?’

_Wow. Octavia didn’t completely screw it up. In fact, she somehow made Alex relax a bit. Huh._

She quickly typed out her reply, instantly back to her giddy self. _‘You totally should, emojis are fun.’ That works, right? Short and simple._ Octavia noticed the change in her mood instantly, giving her a knowing smirk from across the room. Clarke paused and glared at her for a moment while Octavia raised a brow, silently questioning her but still giving an ‘I told you so’ attitude. Clarke went back to typing the rest of her message before reading it over until she was content with it and pressed send. Octavia still didn’t dare open her mouth and continued working.

“You can stop the smirking, Octavia. She thought it was cute. You were right. _This time_.” Clarke stood up and reached for the work phone.

“I’m always right, Princess. Now, if you’d just listen to my earpiece idea….”

“Shut up, _Pocahontas_. Now, how much time do you need to finish that dog?”

“A girl gets lost on a camping trip _one_ time…”

 

-

 

Lexa arrived home at 5:30, thankful that work was dismissed earlier than she expected so she could beat the worst of LA traffic. Anya had tried to insist on coming over, on pulling the whole “but best friends dress each other up for dates!” trope. Lexa wouldn’t have it, convincing her that she’d already picked out an outfit, adding that it ‘did indeed make her rear look amazing’, which seemed to be one of Anya’s primary concerns. Anya still pouted and insisted that she explain all of her plans for tonight, her ‘gameplan’ as she called it. Thanks to Anya that lunch was dragged out for far past 30 minutes. At least Lincoln hadn’t peppered her with questions too, he just sat and listened, nodding along quietly. Of course after learning of the fake name she came up with, Lincoln joined in with Anya to tease her. Towards the end however, they adopted a more serious tone and advised Lexa to inform Clarke that she was an actor sometime during the date. And to give up that ‘dumbass’ fake name.

 _At least they seemed pleased at Pauna embarrassing me._ She sighed and reached over to give Pauna a soft pat. 

Lexa wasted no time in preparing for her date, quickly taking a shower and drying off in record time. It gave her more time to obsess over her makeup and smooth her hair into a regal over-the-shoulder look. Earlier that morning she had selected an outfit that consisted of a black pencil skirt, a formal black jacket with a white button-up shirt underneath, complete with plain black heels. She checked reflection one last time. A smile tugged at her lips. Lexa was incredibly satisfied with her appearance, internally high-fiving herself for her near perfect application of eyeliner. 

She picked up her bag and pulled out her phone to set the directions to Clarke’s address. Hopefully she wasn’t too late or too early, it was always hard to gauge California traffic. She played with her hair nervously as she left her apartment began the walk to her car. When she finally settled in the driver’s seat she looked at her sunglasses resting above her dashboard. She smiled and grabbed them, placing them in the compartment between the seats, to be forgotten. _For tonight, at least._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lexa is a total fashion hoe hahaha. I'm sorry this chapter is mostly dialogue and I apologize that it took so long to update, I got major writer's block but I'm finally getting to the interesting stuff so it probably won't take me as long to update now. If you have ideas or headcanons or even feedback that you want to share with me hmu at lexasbooty.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> Aren't Clarke and Lexa just the most adorably awkward dorks? I apologize for the beginning being so long and slow. I felt like writing this AU for a while now, I always see customers flirting with groomers at work and sometimes we get lucky and asked out on dates, even as tips sometimes. We get some pretty unusual tips. It's funny. It also helps that the grooming world is kinda filled with gays so why the hell not right? Feel free to descend into Clexa hell with me at Lexasbooty.tumblr.com


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